Back from Tauck's "Impressions from the Seine: Paris to Normandy" Sept. 23-30 – A Review

[maryogreen]

A Little Background

My husband and I took our first river cruise in 2018 on the Crystal Mozart, Vienna round-trip on the Danube. We also have sailed with a number of ocean cruise lines, including Crystal, Seabourn and Regent. This was our second river cruise and our first experience with Tauck.

 

We chose "Impressions from the Seine" after learning that an ocean voyage we had booked for later this year had been cancelled. The big draw was an itinerary that included a special access tour of Monet's Gardens at Giverny as well as Tauck's well-regarded reputation. (Thank you @boblerm for the encouraging words about Tauck!) We also liked the idea of one non-stop flight – we flew Air France from LAX to CDG – and one country, given these constantly changing and challenging times of travel. Still, I nervously checked my email every morning, wondering whether the cruise or our flight would be changed or cancelled.

 

Travel and the Pandemic

We felt incredibly safe during the entire trip. France required proof of vaccination to enter the country as well as cafés and museums. We had applied weeks in advance for a Pass Sanitaire, which converts our U.S. vaccination record to a French QR code, but it didn't arrive until the end of the trip! Thankfully, our U.S. vaccination card was accepted everywhere. We were impressed by how seriously the cafés took the vaccine requirement – we presented our cards before we could enter, whether dining inside or out. Masks were required indoors (except, of course, when eating!) and sometimes outdoors if we were on a group tour.

 

Tauck did an extraordinary job with health precautions. There were only 32 guests on our riverboat, which normally has a capacity of 98. Masks were required in public areas, except when dining or sitting outside on the top deck, and hand sanitizers were prevalent throughout the ship. Vaccinations were mandatory for all guests and crew. Near the end of the cruise, Tauck arranged the Covid testing we needed to return to the U.S., handling all paperwork and bringing a nurse on board to do the test. Thankfully, everyone in the group had a negative test!

 

The Riverboat

 

We were in Cabin 309 on the ms Sapphire – spacious living area, roomy and well-organized bathroom and a walk-in closet. Two French balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows were a real treat – except when we were rafted to another boat, which I imagine would have happened more often in busier times. Our cabin attendant kept the cabin and hallway in immaculate shape, constantly dusting and polishing every doorway and nook, even though many of the cabins weren't occupied.

 

We loved sitting on the top deck after our excursions. There were a couple of days with afternoon sailings when we had a chance to enjoy cruising the Seine, taking in the scenes along the river. Lovely fall weather was a real serendipity the week we were on board!

 

The Food and the Restaurants

The ms Sapphire has a small casual dining venue called Arthur's in addition to the main dining room. Meals were outstanding and quite varied, with several "always available" items as well as daily offerings. Executive Chef Fenna Hummel was very visible throughout the cruise and prepared a special farewell dinner on one of the last nights. Breakfast and lunch featured buffets as well as items you could order from the menu. Service was top-notch and as good as any cruise line we've sailed. We especially enjoyed wine steward and server I Made Darmika, whose big smile radiated from under his mask!

 

The Excursions

We were impressed with the way Tauck treated our small group as if we were on a full-capacity cruise. There were three tour directors – Axelle, Patricia and Darcy – with two of them accompanying us on all excursions. The tour guides in each port were outstanding and extremely knowledgable. The special access tour of Giverny was as wonderful as I had imagined, and there was also a terrific after-hours private tour at the Louvre.

 

Bottom Line

Despite the inconveniences due to Covid, it was a terrific time to travel. The key, I believe, was being flexible and accepting the fact that plans could change at a moment's notice. The biggest reward was clearly the lack of tourists. The only place where we experienced anything resembling a crowd was inside Versailles Palace, and even then, it was far from what would typically be found at an elbow-to-elbow place to visit. We spent several days in Paris before the cruise and at times it felt as if we had the city to ourselves.

For anyone who is interested, I've just posted my first blog from the trip and will have photos and stories from every port in the coming days.

https://www.themodernpostcard.com/paris-in-the-fall-soaking-up-the-spectacular-city-of-light/

 

 

Mary

Travel Blog: https://www.themodernpostcard.com

 

 

 

 

[vino100]

What a wonderful review. Thanks for sharing. 

[maryogreen]

vino100, thank you...so glad you enjoyed it!

[Coral]

I love your blogs! I can't wait to read this one.

 

I had been looking at Tauck for France recently!

 

So glad you got to experience France with out crowds. Lucky you!

[maryogreen]

Coral, thank you so much! And what good timing...Tauck is definitely a great choice if you're considering a river cruise in France. And yes, we felt incredibly lucky to be there without crowds 🙂

[nursinadream]

Thanks maryogreen - will you tell us about your profile name?  Very interesting report about your time in France.  I wonder if the French are easing up with the documents required for tourists?  This summer I read about several tourists here on CC that were not allowed to disembark in France or visit cafes and museums because they lacked the Pass Sanitaire. 

Another river tourist recently posted a report of her Danube cruise which carried 34 passengers.  I believe yours had 32.  I can't fathom how the cruise companies can stay afloat with such reduced income.  I hope they're still in business in March when we sail.

Thanks for taking time to share your posts.  I'll read your blog too.

[maryogreen]

nursinadream, I'm so glad you enjoyed the report! My profile name is a shortened version of my name, Mary O. Greenberg. We were concerned about not having our Pass Sanitaires (mine arrived at the end of the trip and my husband received his after we were home), but had no issues with cafés or museums accepting our U.S. vaccination cards. I'm not sure whether a US QR code would have been accepted and would recommend carrying the actual card. We also carried copies of our U.S. passports in case we needed to verify our identity on the CDC cards, but we were never asked for them. We were asked to show proof of vaccination everywhere – on our own in Paris and at sites with the cruise tours.

 

Our cruise had just 32 passengers, and we were told that the following sailing would have around 60. The staff and crew couldn't have been more welcoming and continually commented how delighted they were to be cruising again. We saw a couple of Viking boats at various ports on the Seine, and although I don't know how full they were, their tour groups looked like a typical size. If our experience is any indication, I would be fairly confident that your March cruise will sail. Please feel free to email me or post here if you have questions!

[skinnylegs]

Mary - I'm enjoying reading your blog about this trip and all your other adventures!

 

nursinadream - We went on Uniworld's Burgundy/Provence cruise (wonderful cruise) in September and had 97 people on board. The boat has a capacity of 150. The group after us was probably half that. I had my passe sanitaire but my husband's did not come in until the last day of our trip. With Uniworld tours, we had copies of our passport and CDC card and that was sufficient. When we were on our own pre and post cruise, my husband got tested every 3 days in the pharmacies, to receive a QR code. In Lyon, two restaurants would not let him in without this code. The test results are emailed in about 15 minutes and it's easy to find a pharmacy to conduct the test.

[njhoo]

Thank you Mary for taking us along on your trip.  We were scheduled for Tauck’s rendezvous on the Seine the beginning of June 2020, but alas, it was canceled.  I’m personally a history buff and was very interested in the day at Normandy. Could you please share your experience, assuming that your cruise included heading to the coast.  

[maryogreen]

skinnylegs, I'm glad to know you're enjoying the blog. Thank you so much for reading!

 

njhoo, I hope you'll be able to reschedule your Tauck Seine cruise. Ours had two fewer days than the "rendezvous," I believe, but did go to the Normandy coast. If you are a war history buff and you have the same guide as we did (he seems to be a favorite of the Tauck team), you will absolutely love that tour. The guide was a veritable encyclopedia of WWII battles and generals and the tiniest details. My husband and I would have preferred more of an overview, but those who had extensive WWII knowledge really enjoyed his commentary. I will have photos and stories from that day on the blog within the next couple of weeks.

[boblerm]

Mary,

Thank you for posting here about your cruise.

 

I can't wait to read more about your adventure and see your always wonderful photos on your blog!

 

Bob

[mimmy52]

Thank you for your trip review.  I bookmarked your blog so I can read it later, but I’m looking forward to it.

[maryogreen]

boblerm, Thanks so much for the kind words, as always!

 

mimmy52, You're very welcome...and I hope you enjoy the blog!

[boblerm]

Mary is too modest to say, but she has put several new posts on her blog, with fabulous commentary and photos

https://www.themodernpostcard.com

[Coral]

30 minutes ago, boblerm said:

Mary is too modest to say, but she has put several new posts on her blog, with fabulous commentary and photos

https://www.themodernpostcard.com

Thanks for the reminder. I spent an afternoon on her blog once dreaming of all the trips she has been on. She is an amazing photographer and writer! She has personally helped me plan how I spent time on my vacation on a trip she had recently done. Love her blog!

Edited October 21, 2021 by Coral

[maryogreen]

boblerm, you are much too kind...thank you! 

Coral, thank you for such a lovely comment. I'm really happy to know that my input was helpful! 

[need2travel1]

Boblerm, Thanks for the reminder!

 

And Maryogreen, thank you for your fantastic blog!  I'm taking a few notes for our trip to Paris next year.

[maryogreen]

need2travel1, Thank you so much! I'm delighted to know you're enjoying the blog. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about Paris. I have a new post this week with photos of cruising the Seine as well as a look inside our Tauck riverboat that you and others on this board might find interesting. Happy travel planning!

https://www.themodernpostcard.com/cruising-the-seine-views-from-the-top-deck-life-on-board/

[RNCheryl]

Congratulations on your delightful blog.  You have a great eye, and some inspiring commentary as well.

 

Favorite was the Paris in the Fall, Soaking up the City of Lights.  So many glorious memories!  We are making our first Tauck excursion next fall on the Danube.

[maryogreen]

RNCheryl, Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate the feedback on the blog! This was such a great trip, and I'm enjoying it sharing it with other travelers. We were incredibly impressed with Tauck, as I'm sure you'll be as well. Our first river cruise was on the Danube in September 2018 with Crystal, and from our experience, it's a terrific season to travel there. If any questions arise, please feel free to email me or post here!

[shulmanac]

Mary  Curious if you have a copy of the daily itinerary with each days activities and times they handed out on the first day of your tour. We are going on Taucks Rendezvous of the Seine (Paris to Normandy) in August.  Thanks Alan    shulmanac@gmail.com

[Coral]

11 hours ago, shulmanac said:

Mary  Curious if you have a copy of the daily itinerary with each days activities and times they handed out on the first day of your tour. We are going on Taucks Rendezvous of the Seine (Paris to Normandy) in August.  Thanks Alan    shulmanac@gmail.com

You may want to tag her so she knows to look here: @maryogreen

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Coral said:

You may want to tag her so she knows to look here: @maryogreen

Is that what it's called?  I don't do social media (except for Cruise Critic, if that counts) – I call it 'sending out the Bat-Signal.'  😀

[maryogreen]

On 3/3/2023 at 8:01 AM, shulmanac said:

Mary  Curious if you have a copy of the daily itinerary with each days activities and times they handed out on the first day of your tour. We are going on Taucks Rendezvous of the Seine (Paris to Normandy) in August.  Thanks Alan    shulmanac@gmail.com

@shulmanac I don't have copies of the daily itineraries, but I do have blog posts from every port and tour that you may find helpful. This was not a cruise with multiple excursion options at each stop, except for Paris – where I highly recommend the fascinating Perè Lachaise Cemetery tour. I can't say enough good things about Tauck and the Seine itinerary. You are certain to have a wonderful trip!     

 

Here is a link to my blog posts from the cruise. They are in order of oldest to most recent, beginning with "Paris in the Fall" and ending with "Reflections on Traveling Internationally in 2021."

 

https://www.themodernpostcard.com/category/france/page/2/

 

Please feel free to contact me if you have additional questions!

Mary

[shulmanac]

Blog is wonderful.  Was trying to get an idea what time you left the boat each morning to go on tours.  Just got back from Jordan/Egypt with Tauck and had to be on bus each morning about 7:30 am